A bidding war has started for pictures of Silvio Berlusconi naked with an underage minor.

Ruby the Heart Stealer, one of the alleged minors and conquests of Mr Berloscuni.

Things it seems are never dull in Italy, especially when one of the main headlines seem to be continually exploring the amorous disposition of the country’s prime minister. The latest headline? Will the public get to see purported naked images of the Mr Berluscuni naked with young women and in particularly one underage minor?

telegraph.co.uk:Lawyers for Silvio Berlusconi have filed legal actions over investigations that have allegedly found photographs of him naked in the company of young women.

The pictures are alleged to have been taken by one or more of the showgirls who attended the Italian prime minister’s so-called “bunga bunga” parties at his mansion outside Milan.

An Italian newspaper reported that the existence of the images had prompted a bidding war between magazines and photo agencies, with a starting price of €1 million (£840,000)

A bidding war, because as any Hollywood paparazzi can tell you nothing sells better than the visage of an illustrious public figure getting out of bed (literally this time) on the wrong side of the bed sheet covers.

The premier’s legal team said that the pictures, if they even existed, “would be fakes, manipulated pictures, photo montages”. They have nonetheless filed complaints with judicial authorities and Italy’s privacy watchdog as a precaution against publication.

Investigators seized computers and mobile phones from young women whom Mr Berlusconi, 74, allegedly installed as a “harem” in an upmarket apartment complex in Milan. They are examining the devices to see whether they contain still or video images of the prime minister’s home, Villa San Martino.

Does anyone get the feeling they are watching an art house Italian film with a too perfect and while we are at it ludicrous plot that may actually all be true?

Prosecutors in Milan are expected to call on Monday or Tuesday for Mr Berlusconi to be sent for trial on allegations of paying for sex with El-Mahroug, an alleged underage prostitute known as Ruby the Heart Stealer, and of abusing his office in trying to have her released from police custody on a theft charge.

Either way, the public will have to wait to see which edited version makes the director’s cut, but one thing is for sure, if authorities deem the images to be legitimate, one million euro will most probably be on the low end of the bidding that will soon follow.